Former England star Joe Cole has named John Terry as the Premier League's best ever captain, describing his old teammate as "the perfect leader".

Cole earned 56 caps for England and spent the majority of his career in the Premier League with spells at West Ham, Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa. He also turned out for Coventry before ending his career with a stint at American side Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Cole's best years came at Stamford Bridge as he helped the Blues to three Premier League titles and two FA Cups, and while he played alongside some iconic leaders during his playing career, the former winger has now backed Terry as the best ever.

When speaking on BT's Youtube channel, he said: "John Terry was the best captain, his attention to detail on and off the pitch, he led from the front and demanded standards.

"He was just a perfect captain to have at a club. I would say he is the best Premier League captain ever. I think there's an argument for a few others, but JT is certainly up there."

Chelsea's Joe Cole (L) celebrates his go | IAN KINGTON/Getty Images

Cole and Terry played alongside each other for seven years at Chelsea between 2003 and 2010, picking up three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a League Cup. Terry added another two top flight titles, three more FA Cups and a Champions League among other triumphs to his collection following Cole's departure.

The pair have both moved into coaching after retiring as players. Cole is a youth team coach under Frank Lampard at Chelsea, while John Terry is assistant manager to Dean Smith at Aston Villa, the side he spent his final playing season with before retiring.